WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for "Phantom Menaces," the latest episode of Supergirl Season 6.
Lena Luthor just dealt her brother Lex a devastating blow, and she didn't even have to touch him to do it. In "Phantom Menaces," the latest episode of Supergirl, the Luthor siblings engaged in an intense rivalry, to the point where other people started to get hurt. That's when Lena decided to withdraw from this war altogether by quitting Luthor Corp, baffling -- and frustrating -- Lex in a way she never had before.
After Lex was released from prison, Lena fired the first shot. She collaborated with Brainy to erase Lex from Luthor Corp's systems, so that all his previous work there was inaccessible. In retaliation, Lex managed to get National City's new District Attorney in his pocket, leading to an investigation into Lena's Project Non Nocere. Lena struck back by draining the Lex Foundation's account by donating it all to the Luthor Wing of the Children's Hospital, which landed him in hot water with his Kaznian arms dealer. So, Lex sent Otis in to start an electrical fire, which was blamed on Lena's mismanagement of renovations in the wing.
For Lena, that was the final straw -- and the one that made her realize she could just walk away. With this revelation, a weight was lifted from her shoulders, which became evident in her confrontation with Lex. What's more, this act of self-care did more to get under his skin than anything else she could have tried.
"You put children in danger just to get back at me," Lena spat as soon as Lex walked through the door at Luthor Corp.
The direct confrontation made him chuckle. "Lena! Are you going to shoot me -- again?" he replied, unphased.
"You know, I've thought about it, very seriously," Lena admitted. "But last time I did that, it didn't change anything, because look at us! Here we are, back in our same pattern, locked in this endless game of cat and mouse that you love so much."
"You love it too," Lex insisted. "You just hate losing."
"Well, you can't lose if you don't play," she shot back. "I'm leaving Luthor Corp. For good."
"You can't leave," Lex scoffed. "Who'll protect this place from the monster that is Lex Luthor?"
"Honestly? Your own hubris," she said with a smile. "Left to your own devices, you'll self-destruct. You always do."
Lex narrowed his eyes. "You're just upset about the kids. You're not thinking straight," he attempted.
"I've never been more clear," she returned. "Fighting with you has brought me nothing but misery, and washing your toxic behavior out of my life, I'll be free. I can finally be happy."
"I don't believe you," he chuckled. "This is just another move."
"I promise you, it's not," Lena reasserted. "I'm done playing games. I called the D.A. and made a deal: I leave Luthor Corp and he'll drop the investigation."
"You do realize you won't get a penny from the company after you leave," he pointed out. "Everything you've worked for will be gone."
Lena smirked. "Goodbye, Lex," she murmured, heading for the door.
"You can't just walk away. You hate me too much," he said finally, to which she replied, "I do hate you. I just love me more." With that, she left, leaving Lex unsettled and enraged -- so much so that he only sat and stewed in his anger when his butler congratulated him on "winning" the war.
But Lex Luthor isn't done. When his butler asked what was next for "The Man Who Has Everything," Lex had a simple reply: "I go get more," he said, then opened a portal to some unknown location and stepped through.
For Lena, this exchange marks a major change in her status quo. Since her introduction in Season 2, she has spent much of her time on Supergirl trying to escape the Luthor name and the precedent set by her infamous brother. She attempted to rebrand Luthor Corp by turning it into L Corp, where she sought to bring change using her wealth and technology. She actively fought Lex's evil schemes alongside Team Supergirl, proving herself by standing against her family.
Nevertheless, much of Lena's identity has been weighed down by her responsibility to her family, whether that meant rehabbing the family name or stopping Lex's plots. Now, she has walked away from all of that: her brother and the company both. This gives her the opportunity to forge her own identity, away from her family and their toxicity, for the first time. Further, she will no longer be as wealthy as she once was, which means she has the chance to make her own path without feeling beholden to anyone else.
Supergirl stars Melissa Benoist as Kara Danvers, David Harewood as Martian Manhunter, Chyler Leigh as Alex Danvers, Nicole Maines as Dreamer and Jesse Rath as Brainiac-5. New episodes air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.
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